The invention relates in general to munitions and in particular to muzzle-loaded mortar projectiles.
Fin-stabilized, muzzle-loaded mortar projectiles may be fired from smooth bore or rifled tubes. Various means have been used with fin-stabilized projectiles to seal the propellant gas and thereby create the high pressure needed to propel the mortar projectile out of the mortar tube and down range. Obturators and grease grooves are some of the sealing means that have been used.
Some breech-loaded, smooth-bore projectiles, such as tank ammunition, use a sabot as the sealing or obturating device. The U.S. Army has used a 22 mm sub-caliber projectile with an 81 mm sabot (MI) as a training round. U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,572 issued to Hebert et al. on Mar. 4, 1969 discloses a disintegrating sabot for a fin-stabilized projectile. U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,344 issued to Price et al. on Mar. 9, 1982 discloses a spinning tubular projectile with a combustible sabot. U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,180 issued to Smolnik on Dec. 8, 1987 discloses a mortar training device with simulated propelling charges and a sub-caliber flight projectile. U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,463 issued to Mutascio et al. on Aug. 24, 2004 discloses a sabot-launched delivery apparatus for a non-lethal payload.
A need exists for a saboted, fin-stabilized, muzzle-loaded mortar round that is effective for warfare.